The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-01

unto them after He took His departure
and assembled to the right hand of
power; that spirit which reveals the
past, the present and the future. This
was the spirit of which Elder Grant had
been speaking. 1t was this which gave
men and women their testimony OF the
truth.
The Saints had been accused of main
tanning an ecclesiastical despotism; OF
serving masters through fear or hope OF
temporal profit; they were charged
with having no opinions of an indepen.
dent character; that they were herded
like sheep on election days, and COM
! PEELED to do as their leaderSwished. What
a wOndrous power their leaders then
exercised! Extraordinary influences
We're brought to bear on this little hand
full of people by the pleadings, threaten
lngs and exertions of 55 900 900 people
OF the nation, who were endeaVoring to
entice the poor, deluded ''Mormons"
out of the bondage of their religion. And
yet all was in vain! What a power the
! fifteen or fifty men at the head of
| Mormon affairs exercised to be able to
Withstand them. o, what confession
| for Congressman, editors and public
men 10 make!
There was something more than the
sagacity, shrewdness and magnetism OF
the men VINO were their leaders that
held the Saints together o, would that
the wise men of the world could see and
understand this power. Surely the
words of Isaiah were being verified:
For the wisdom of their wise men shall
perish, and the understanding of their
prudent men shall be hid"
No more notable example of this can
be shown than in the fact that it is
thought this people can be held together
by fear or selhshuess in the face OF
apparent impending destruction. Why
are they h t afraid of the millions who
oppose them? Is it through hope of
temporal profit that they cling to their
faith, in view of The threatened contisca-
ton of their property? If it is the hope
of political advantage, how is it they
hold on when their franchises are being
swept away, one by one? Why is it that
this foolish charge can still be made, in
spite of all these proofs of its fallacy?
1t is the power of God which binds
this people together, and induces them
to listen to and hear the counsels of
their leaders, and to cling together
without fear OF the world or what the
world may do. 1t is that same spirit
which was poured .outin ancient days
when the disciples of Jesus went forth
suffering persecution while prOclaiming
the tldings of salvation. 1t was the
knowledge of truth which induced them
to follow in the footsteps of the Savior,
which enabled the martyrs of old to
W thstand the cruelties and tortures OF
the ILquisition. Paul said he was mot
of the gospel OF Christ, for it
z bca-ln Of NJ n col o
upon proof, evidence mountains high
had been given the ancient Saints
of the divinity of the gospel,
and similar proofs had been gwen
the Latter-day Saints of the
truth of their religion. If it
were not so, how could they endure to
to make the sacrifices they did, and
rather than forsake their convictions be
cast into loathsome dungeons for
conscience sake? Why could not the
wise men OF the nation see the parallel
m the lives of the Latter-day Saints with
those of the former day Saints2 Even
now they cast out and put to death the
living prophets and garnish the sepul-
chres of the dead ones. They erect
temples and cathedrals to the ancient
Saints, yet in their midst are Saints
whom they revile and persecute. Verify
is the wisdom of the wise perishing.
The prosecutions of tie Saints were
stamping the testimony of the truth
upon their minds continually.
The mission of this people was one of
peace, one, of salvation, and the world
would some day recognize the fact and
read it in their history. The Latter.day
Saints knew of what they spoke, what
they were dolng and in a general way
what the outcome would be. That is
more than any other people know. The
revelations of the future were theirs.
The work would never stop, it would
meyer become smaller, but would in
crease and grow from little stone into
a mighty mountain, and the nations
would yet lean upon it for succor 1t
was their mission to save the world,
temporarily and spiritually. They were
men and women who would stand true
and accomplish the work God had given
them to do.
What had rendered this work neces-
sary? the bishop asked. The world had
fallen into darkuess and departed from
God. The ancient prophets had foreseen
this work and the necessity for it and
had predicted fully concerning it. Il
will proceed to do a marvellous work
among this people, even marvellous
work and wonder: for the wisdom of
their wise men shall perish, and the un-
Outstanding of their prudent men shall
oe hid" said the Lord. Evidences of
this fact were abundant on every hand.
The fathers of this nation had construc-
ted bulwarks for the weak, in the Con-
stitution. Why? Because, looking
down into the future they could see
that men would try to tear down
these safeguards of liberty. They.
therefore, provided for the emergency
in that glorious instrument, the first
amendment to which provided that
Congress should make no law respect
ing an establishment of religion, or pro-
hIDIting the free exercise thereof. The
passions and prejudices of men now i'm
PEELED them to overleap the barriers of
the Constitution and sap the founda.
tiUns of free government. Is this not
an evidence that the wisdom of the wise
is perishins? When the ANTS appealed
and protested against the conduct OF
Sucn men, they were accused OF being
traitors, and when they pointed to ID
fact that their liberties were being
abridged, they wer told by wise men of
the nation that the Constitution never
was iateuded to give you the liberty to